Ex-Monticello manager pleads guilty

Thursday

May 9, 2013 at 2:00 AM

MONTICELLO - Former Monticello Village Manager John LiGreci pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three misdemeanor counts of official misconduct, agreeing to testify against Trustee T.C. Hutchins and another man rather than risk a felony conviction and prison time. LiGreci admitted he acted with Hutchins in attempting to hire Hutchins' "good" friend Kariem McCline as a police officer. In return for cooperating, Sullivan County District Attorney Jim Farrell will recommend that LiGreci receive no jail time and probation for three years. He faced up to seven years in prison on the top charge of coercion.

Victor Whitman

MONTICELLO — Former Monticello Village Manager John LiGreci pleaded guilty on Wednesday to three misdemeanor counts of official misconduct, agreeing to testify against Trustee T.C. Hutchins and another man rather than risk a felony conviction and prison time.

LiGreci admitted he acted with Hutchins in attempting to hire Hutchins' "good" friend Kariem McCline as a police officer. In return for cooperating, Sullivan County District Attorney Jim Farrell will recommend that LiGreci receive no jail time and probation for three years. He faced up to seven years in prison on the top charge of coercion.

Farrell indicated he will ask Sullivan County Court Judge Frank LaBuda to dismiss two felony coercion counts and a third felony count of falsifying business records when LiGreci is sentenced on Aug. 8.

As a condition of the plea, however, LiGreci must testify against Hutchins and McCline.

LiGreci was accused of trying to badger former police chiefs into hiring McCline, ordering an unprecedented three psychological exams for McCline and also stopping a background check when police were finding problems in McCline's background and work history. LiGreci was also accused of trying to hide a $2,700 bill for the third psychological exam.

LiGreci admitted to three instances of misconduct: ordering former Chief Doug Solomon to stop the background check; ordering then-acting police Chief Mark Johnstone to answer six questions about the background check when he had no authority to do so; and by releasing personnel information to McCline. Regarding the third count, current Chief Robert Mir warned LiGreci not to give McCline any personnel records because McCline had by last fall become the subject of a criminal investigation. At the time, McCline was also preparing a civil lawsuit against the village and the county.

LiGreci appeared with his court-appointed lawyer, Cliff Gordon. LiGreci, a former Town of Lumberland supervisor and Sullivan County Republican Committee chairman, declared bankruptcy last year and qualified for legal aid. The Village Board fired LiGreci Oct. 12 before he was indicted.

Opening statements in Hutchins' and McCline's trials are expected to begin on Thursday morning in County Court.

Two juries have been appointed, one assigned for each defendant.

Hutchins faces a felony coercion charge and misdemeanor counts of official misconduct. Several police officers, village officials and Mayor Gordon Jenkins are expected to testify.

If convicted of a felony, Hutchins would be automatically removed from the Village Board.